Paul Widdop

I am Senior Research Fellow at Leeds Beckett University, PhD University of Manchester, core member of Edinburgh University Academy of Sport, co-founder of the Football Collective, and research editor at Connect Sport.

My research focuses on the consumption and production of sport and culture in society. Underlying these academic fields my substantive research area is in the importance of place and networks. For the former I am interested in the contexts and mechanisms that make place a key driver in the formation and maintenance of cultural lifestyles and consumption behaviours. For networks my approach is to understand consumption from a relational sociology position, using predominantly a social network analysis methodology to explore relational and interactional dynamics. Place and networks are fundamental to understanding how consumption and production operates in modern societies.

Furthermore, I have a specific research interest in the production elements of the football industry or football worlds (adapted from Howard Becker Artworlds concept). In particular my research explores the collective activity in this world, focusing on conventions, networks and resources.

I have a strong background in theoretical and applied statistics (MSc in Social Research Methods and Statistics from University of Manchester) and I completed my PhD research in the Institute for Social Change/Cathie Marsh Institute for Social Research (University of Manchester). In addition, I have a extensive knowledge of the theory and methodology of Social Network Analysis.

Currently I am reviews editor for the Journal of Consumer Culture (Impact Factor:2.816 | Ranking:Cultural Studies 1 out of 38 | Sociology 4 out of 142). Active member of the Mitchell Centre of Social Network Analysis (University of Manchester); member of the Canadian Sociological Association - Relational Sociology group; and co-founder of the Football Collective a vibrant academic research community.